Vacuum cleaners



VACUUM CLEANERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1962 /lWe/v Tok:

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VACUUM CLEANERSY Filed Feb. 19, 1962 I 2 sheets-sheet 2 mman PRESA@ Ela/IN ElRSaLD United States Patent C 3,142,857 VACUUM CLEANERS Marcel Fresard and Erwin Aebersold, Geneva, Switzerland, assignors to lvieua SA., Fribourg, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 174,127

Claims priority, application Switzerland May 30, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-327) This invention relates to vacuum cleaners.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner comprising an elongated casing including a readily removable front end part, a rear end part having a transverse wall, and an intermediate par-t; suction nozzle means in said front end casing part to which can be secured "a suction accessory; an air outlet in said transverse wall; a dust-collecting filter mounted in said intermediate casing part; a pump and electric motor unit mounted in said casing between said filter and said transverse wall; a unit clamping and supporting member slidably mounted in said casing and surrounding said unit; a plurality of externally accessible and operable braces extending generally parallel to the axis of the casing towards the front end thereof ythrough said transverse wall and through said clamping and supporting member into fixed inwardly projecting means on the inside of said intermediate casing part and into which the braces are screwed; and abutment means carried by said braces for engaging and pressing said clamping and supporting member towards said transverse wall thereby to clamp said unit between said member and said transverse wall.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear end view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIGS. l and 2; and

FIGS. 4 tand 5 are respectively a cross-section and an axial section, on an enlarged scale, of a device shown in FIG. l for securing a stick-like handle.

The illustrated vacuum cleaner is of a kind that can be used both as an upright-type vacuum cleaner (i.e. a vacuum cleaner whose casing is rigidly connected to the suction device and is partially supported by the latter and partially carried by the user to guide the suction device) and as a tank-like vacuum cleaner (i.e. a vacuum cleaner whose casing rests on the floor through the intermediary of runners and/ or Wheels, and is connected by a flexible tube to the suction device, the latter being the only part held and guided by the user). The causing 1 of the illus-` trated vacuum cleaner is of elongated form and is m-ade up of two shells 2 and 3 constituting center and rear sections, and of a cap or front section 10. Cap 10 defines the front end part of the casing and is formed with nozzle means 4 to which various suction accessories can be secured. The rear end of the casing 1 is formed with socket means 5 for receiving a tubular stick-like handle 6 in the event the vacuum cleaner is to be used as an upright-type vacuum cleaner. An electric motor 7 for driving a pump 8 is housed in shell 2 of the casing anda filter 9 acting as a dust collecting receptacle is placed between the pump 8 and cap 10 in shell 3. A grip handle 11 which is fixed to the shell 2 by screws 12 enables the vacuum cleaner to be readily carried. The rear part of this handle accommodates a button 13 for actuating a switch 14 for starting and stopping the electric motor 7.

Shells 2 and 3 of the vacuum cleaner casing 1 are secured to one another by braces 15 which are each formed 3,142,857, Patented Aug. 4, 1964- rice with a threaded end portion 16 and with a head 17 counter-sunk in a transverse wall 18 closing oi the rear end of casing 1. The heads 17 of braces 15 thus are accessible from without and enable the braces to be driven in rotation. The braces 15 are disposed parallel to the general axis of body 1 and extend through end wall 18 and through a dished clamping plate 19 slidably mounted in shell 2 surrounding motor 7. The housing 20 of motor 7, which also encloses pump 8, defines a boss 21 at its rear end. This boss 21 is supported in a recess 22 formed in the transverse wall 18. A lining 23 of resilient material, for example rubber, is interposed between the boss 21 and the recess 22. The front end of the motor and pump unit 7, 8 is supported by plate 19 whose dished portion 24 accommodates the adjacent end of housing 20. Plate 19 is secured to the housing 20 by screws 38. A resilient lining 25 is interposed between the peripheral rim 26 of plate and the lock-nuts 29, a washer 30 being provided between each nut 28 and the dished plate 19. The tension exerted on each brace 15 is so adjusted that each brace can still be rotated from its head 17 by means of a screw-driver or other tool, the nuts 28 and lock-nuts 29 preventing any involuntary modification of the set adjustment.

The casing shell 3 is provided with internal anchoring lugs 31 which are arranged to register with the threaded end portions 16 of braces 15. In these lugs 31 are secured members 32 which are each formed with a threaded bore 33. The brace end portions 16 can be screwed into these bores 33 upon rotation of the braces 15 by means of a screw-driver engaged in brace heads 17, thereby enabling the two casing shells 2 and 3 to be united together. The means for securing together these two shells are thus not visible externally of the curved surfaces of the casing 1. The only visible parts of these securing means are the brace heads 17 which appear in the end Wall 18.

As shown in the drawings, the wall 18 at the rear end of the casing 1 is set back in the shell 2 to dene a fittings receiving andhousing cavity whose side wall terminates in a rearwardly projecting edge 34 on which are formed supports or feet 35 enabling the vacuum cleaner to be placed in an upright position on a flat surface, for example during emptying of the dust collecting filter 9. In the end wall 18 are provided a plug 36 for electrically connecting the vacuum cleaner to a source of current and an additional plug 37 which can be used, for example, to connect the vacuum cleaner to a combined polisher. by the projecting edge 34 of the casing and are protected by this edge from any impacts.

The socket means 5 for receiving the stick-like handle 6 of the vacuum cleaner comprises a tubular sleeve 39 embedded in the matter constituting the end wall 18. This sleeve 39 is formed with radial openings 40 through which extend pads 41 for gripping the stick handle engaged in the socket 5. These pads are preferably made ofV plastic material such as nylon. The tightening of the pads 41 is effected by a ring 42 rotatably mounted on the' sleeve 39 around the pads.

with the tubular stick-like handle 6 by angular move` ment of the ring 42. This ring 42 is formed with an,l

The plugs 36 and 3'7 are thus masked' integral handle 44 to facilitate rotation of the ring. The tubular handle 6 is thus introduced into the sleeve t 39 when the pads 41 are in their radially outer position.

When the tubular handle 6 is properly engaged in the sleeve 39, angular displacement of the ring 42 in the direction of arrow 45 (FIG. 4) causes the pads 41 to be radially pressed into engagement with the tubular handle 6 thereby locking the latter to the casing 1.

It should be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, the socket means not only serves the purpose of lixing a removable tubular stick-handle 6, but also acts as an exhaust for the air sucked in by the pump 8.

The handle 6 is provided with a longitudinal slot 6a through its lower portion whereby the handle is properly oriented during insertion by engaging the slot about an elongated lug Isa projecting upwardly through the sleeve 39. The relationship between the lengths of the slot 6a and lug 13a are determined so that the innermost end of the tubular handle 6 will be spaced from the end wall 18. Quite obviously, other suitable arrangements may be provided for mounting the handle 6 to allow for the above referred to air exhausting. For example, the handle 6 may be adapted to abut the end wall 18, in which case an opening must be provided in the top portion of the inserted end of the handle.

The nozzle means 4 to which can be connected various suction accessories, comprises a tube which is partially inserted and is rotatably mounted in a` bushing 46 xed in the removable cap 1t) of casing 1. The tube 4 has ixedly mounted thereon a ring 47 projecting into the bushing 46 so that the tube 4 may turn in the bushing 46 without however being capable of axial displacement relatively thereto. The front end portion of the bushing 46 which projects out of cap 10 is formed with a screwthread 48 on which is screwed a ring 49. This ring 49 is formed with an annular abutment surface 50 adapted to abut against the end of an accessory wedged onto the tube 4, which is slightly conical, thereby to loosen the end of the accessory and enable removal of the latter. This loosening operation can thus simply be done by unscrewing the ring 49 whose abutment surface 50 causes the release or removal of the accessory iixed on the tube 4. Since the ring 49 is screwed on to the bushing 46 which is fixed in relation to the casing 1 of the vacuum cleaner, it is not necessary to hold the accessories during removal.

The bushing 46 is iixedly mounted in a reentrant tubular member 51 which forms an integral part of casing cap and on to which is secured the mouth 52 of a paper iiltering bag 53 which lines the collecting lter 9. The mouth 52 is secured on to the tubular member 51, whose free end portion is slightly conical, with the aid of an annulus 54 slidably mounted on this slightly conical free end portion so as to nip the mouth 52 of paper bag 53.

The iilter 9, which generally is made of fabric, is secured to an annulus 55 having a flange 56 over which is snapped a rubber rim 57. The annulus 55 and its rubber rim 57 bear against a shoulder 58 at the front end of casing shell 3 against which is applied the removable casing cap 10. The cap 10 is secured on to shell 3 with the aid of two hooks 59 which are each pivotally mounted on an actuating lever 60 which in turn is pivotally mounted at 61 on a lug 62 fixed on to the removable cap 10. The operative end of each hook 59 is adapted for engagement in a notch 63 formed in the casing shell 3. In order to prevent the hooks 59 and their actuating levers 60 from standing out, in their closed position, from the outer surface of casing 1, the removable cap lll is formed with longitudinally extending recesses 64 in which the levers 60 and part of hooks 59 are fully accommodated in their closed position. Moreover, the recesses 64 are so dimensioned that the outer surfaces of the hooks 59 and of the levers 60, in their closed position, are ilush with the outer surface of casing 1. It will be noted that the free end portion 65 of each actuating lever 60 is bent so that in the closed position of the latter, it engages an inwardly directed recess formed in the frontal part 66 of casing cap 10. Each end portion 65 is knurled to facilitate manipulation of the levers 60. This manipulation is particularly easy when the vacuum cleaner is standing upright on its feet 35. It sutiices then to press outwardly on the end portions 65 of the two levers 60 to release the hooks 59 from their notches 63. The removable cap 10 can then be separated from the remainder .of the casing 1 to permit removal of the paper bag 53 and its replacement by a fresh one.

The illustrated vacuum cleaner further comprises means for regulating its suction force. This regulating means comprises a by-pass passage of variable crossssection between the pump 8 and the exterior of casing 1 in parallel with the nozzle means 4. The regulating means comprises a member 67 extending through and xed to the wall of shell 3. This member 67 is formed with several holes 68 through which the inner space of casing 1 and the outside can communicate. A disc 69 is rotatably mounted on the member 67 through the intermediary of a centrally located pin 7 0. The surface of disc 69 which contacts member 67 is formed with an outwardly flared channel 71 so that when Vthe latter is brought into register with one or more of holes 68 extending through member 67, the effective cross-section of the by-pass can be varied. Thus, the greater the efective cross-section of the by-pass, the lesser becomes the suction torce at nozzle 4.

In order that the illustrated vacuum cleaner can be used as a tank-type vacuum cleaner, its casing 1 is provided with rib-like projections 72 which constitute the runners on which the vacuum cleaner can be run over a tioor.

The shells 2 and 3 and the cap 1t) of casing 1 are preferably made of moulded or pressed plastic material. However, the casing 1 could also be made of injected light metal or of pressed steel.

Various modifications could be made to the illustrated vacuum cleaner, both as regards its main constituent parts and as regards details of its various securing devices. For example, the nuts 2S and counter-nuts 29 for securing in position the motor and pump unit 7, 8 could be replaced by a ring slipped over each brace 15 and held in axial position thereon by a pin or\peg extending transversely through the ring and the associated brace.

We claim:

l. An improvement in vacuum cleaners, comprising, in combination, a casing including, a front section having an intake nozzle, a center section releasably interlocked with the mating end of the front section, a filter bag assembly housed in said center section and in communication with said nozzle, a plurality of spaced anchoring lugs on the inner face of the center section and having threaded bores, a rear section connected with the mating end of the center section adjacent said lugs and having an exposed edge, a transverse wall integral with and located inwardly of said exposed edge to provide an outwardly facing fittings housing and concealing cavity, said transverse wall also having a recess on its inner face and a tubular socket constituting an air exhaust, a combined motor and pump unit having a boss for entering said recess, a clamping plate located in the front portion of the rear section and having openings, the peripheral portion of said plate slidably mounted in said section, a plurality of braces for causing the said plate to seat the boss of the motor and pump unit in said recess, said braces piercing said transverse Wall and having threaded end portions passing through said openings of the clamping plate to enter the threaded bores of said anchoring lugs on the center section and provided on their outer ends with tool engaging ends accessible from said fittings cavity, nuts and lock nuts on the threaded ends of said braces between the anchoring members and the clamping plate, and washers between the nuts and said plate, whereby, the nuts and lock nuts on the threaded ends of said braces may freely turn with the braces without displacing the plate while the said threaded ends enter the bores of the locking lugs.

2. An improvement in vacuum cleaners according to claim 1, wherein the socket is provided with a tubular sleeve disposed wholly within said ttings receiving cavity and having radial openings therein, a hollow handle in said sleeve, a ring including cam portions rotatably mounted on said sleeve and overlying said radial openings, pads disposed between said ring and said sleeve and extending through said openings for engagement with said handle when said ring is rotated, said socket and handle constituting air exhaust means on the rear section of the casing.

3. An improvement in vacuum cleaners according to claim 1, wherein the center section has adjustable air inlet E valve means on its outer surface for by-passing regulated amounts of air around said filter assembly to control the intensity of suction through the nozzle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 980,944 Hatch et al Jan. 10, 1911 1,689,580 Daddio Oct. 30, 1928 1,918,519 Clements July 18, 1933 2,107,819 Faber Feb. 8, 1938 2,152,756 Billmyre Apr. 4, 1939 2,210,951 Replogle Aug. 13, 1940 2,287,474 Hansson June 23, 1942 

1. AN IMPROVEMENT IN VACUUM CLEANERS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CASING INCLUDING, A FRONT SECTION HAVING AN INTAKE NOZZLE, A CENTER SECTION RELEASABLY INTERLOCKED WITH THE MATING END OF THE FRONT SECTION, A FILTER BAG ASSEMBLY HOUSED IN SAID CENTER SECTION AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID NOZZLE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED ANCHORING LUGS ON THE INNER FACE OF THE CENTER SECTION AND HAVING THREADED BORES, A REAR SECTION CONNECTED WITH THE MATING END OF THE CENTER SECTION ADJACENT SAID LUGS AND HAVING AN EXPOSED EDGE, A TRANSVERSE WALL INTEGRAL WITH AND LOCATED INWARDLY OF SAID EXPOSED EDGE TO PROVIDE AN OUTWARDLY FACING FITTINGS HOUSING AND CONCEALING CAVITY, SAID TRANSVERSE WALL ALSO HAVING A RECESS ON ITS INNER FACE AND A TUBULAR SOCKET CONSTITUTING AN AIR EXHAUST, A COMBINED MOTOR AND PUMP UNIT HAVING A BOSS FOR ENTERING SAID RECESS, A CLAMPING PLATE LOCATED IN THE FRONT PORTION OF THE REAR SECTION AND HAVING OPENINGS, THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SECTION, A PLURALITY OF BRACES FOR CAUSING THE SAID PLATE TO SEAT THE BOSS OF THE MOTOR AND PUMP UNIT IN SAID RECESS, SAID BRACES PIERCING SAID TRANSVERSE WALL AND HAVING THREADED END PORTIONS PASSING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS OF THE CLAMPING PLATE TO ENTER THE THREADED BORES OF SAID ANCHORING LUGS ON THE CENTER SECTION AND PROVIDED ON THEIR OUTER ENDS WITH TOOL ENGAGING ENDS ACCESSIBLE FROM SAID FITTINGS CAVITY, NUTS AND LOCK NUTS ON THE THREADED ENDS OF SAID BRACES BETWEEN THE ANCHORING MEMBERS AND THE CLAMPING PLATE, AND WASHERS BETWEEN THE NUTS AND SAID PLATE, WHEREBY, THE NUTS AND LOCK NUTS ON THE THREADED ENDS OF SAID BRACES MAY FREELY TURN WITH THE BRACES WITHOUT DISPLACING THE PLATE WHILE THE SAID THREADED ENDS ENTER THE BORES OF THE LOCKING LUGS. 